Apparatus for making seamless tubes.



J. W. OFFUTT.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING SEAMLESS TUBES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12, 1910.

l mw wfiw v Patented June 16, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

INVENTOR J. W. OPPUTT.

APPARATUS FOR MAKING SEAMLESS TUBES.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 12, 1910. I I

Patented June 16, 1914.

INVENTOR WITNESSES I J. W1 OF FUTT. APPARATUS FOR MAKING SEAMLESS TUBES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12, 1910. 1,100,69

Patented June 16, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I WITNESSES wzfzm j I E STATES PA EN OFFICE.

com w. orrn'rr, or ELLwoon our, rnnnsnvanm, ASSIGNOR TO THE SHELBY s'rnnn TUJBE COMPANY, or rrrrsnunan, r'nn'i'rsYI Ann ,v a .coRronA'rIon or nawannsnv.

nl ieoieet.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that (I, JOHN W. OFFUTT, of Ellwood City, in 'the county of Lawrence and State of'Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for. Making Seamless Tubes,-of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to apparatus used in forming seamless tubes and similar annular bodies and more particularly relates to apparatus employed in forming heated metal blanks into hot finished tubes and into hol low blanks or tubes which are afterward subjected to cold drawing operations and finished into cold drawn seamless tubes.

()ne object of this invention is to provide improved apparatus constructed and ar-@ ranged for forming the heated blanks, having novel means for piercing and rolllng the? pierced blanks and for reeling the hollow; rolled blanks prior to later sizing or straight-E ening operations, or both sizin and straight--; ening operations, b the use 0 which delays; in the operation 0 the apparatus are overcome and prevented, the output of the -ap-; paratus greatly increased, and the formingj operations are greatl simplified.

Another object of the invention is to pro-f vide improved means for mechanically han-' 'dling the blanks during the forming opera- 'tion' by which the manual labor necessary 1n;

operating the apparatus is reduced and the. operations are carried out practically automatically.

A further object of this invention is to provide apparatus havin improved means for handling the mandre s upon which the blanks are rolled and reeled when such mandrels are employed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1' is a diagrammatic plan showing one arrange ment of apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar plan I on a larger scale showing the apparatus more in detail. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional end elevation on a larger scale, the section being taken on the line III III .o'f Fi 2, showing the handling mechanism by w ich the blanks and mandrels are conveyed from one part of the apparatus to another. Fig.

4 is a similar transverse sectional endelevation taken on the line {IV- IV of Fig. 2,

Specification of Letters Patent. Application fllevl November-12,1910. -8e!ia1*No.682/,O72.

.urAn-arns For. MAKING snmhn'ss-rnnns.

Eaten-ted June 16, 19514.

showing the improved apparatus employed in handling the-mandrels in returning them ffior' further use after being employed in connection-with the rolling and reeling apparatus in forming a hollow blank or tube.

. -In 'the drawings, A is a continuous 'heat- 111g furnace in which the blanks are heated preparatory, to bein pierced. The furnace as shown is provide with an'end inlet open- :ing and-a side discharge opening is located near the opposite end of theiurnace. A trough or conveyer 2 is provided between the outlet openin of the heating furnace and the entrance side ofthe piercing mill B. A similar trough orconveyer 3 is provided on the delivery. side of the piercin mill and a draw bench or trough 4 is provi ed at one end of the conveyer'3 to receive the mandrels or rods by which the plug used in the piercng operation is sup orte between the pierc- -1-ng rolls during t e piercing operations. Skids-or transfer arms '5 are employed be, tween the conveyer -3 and the re-heati'ng' furnace O which is located between the pierci-ng mill B and-theqconti-nuous mill D and skids 6 are employed to connect the discharge side of the reheating furnace O with the trough or conveyer 7 which extends rear wardlyi'rom the entrance side of the con- 'tinuous mill D. A pusher 8 is provided on the rear end of the conveyer 7 -by which the mandrels are inserted within: the hollow or pierced billets.

The piercing mill B is driven by means of i a suit-able motor B and the continuous mill D is provided with pinionhousings 9'which are connected "to a horizontal-gear stand 10 by means of suitable spindles and coupling boxes forming driving connections, the vertical rolls of the continuous mill' D being connected 'by suitable shafti-ng and spur gears with a vertical roll gear stand 11. The gear stands .10 and 11 are both driven by a motor D".

A motor lis provided on the draw bench 4at' the end of the conveyer 3 for driving the chain by which the mandrels or rods supporting the plugs between the rolls of the piercing mill are withdrawn from' the pierced billets after the pierced billets or blanks have emerged from the piercing mill,

B and preparatory to moving the pierced blanks transversely on the waysor skids '5 into the reheating furnace C.

Located on the delivery side of the'c0n-,11l

tinuous mill Dis a conveyer 12 which is connected by means of the skids 13 and 14 to the conveyers 15 and 16 located on either side of the conveyer 12. In line with the conveyers 15 and 16 are the reeling mills E. and F, each. having a gear stand 17 and 18 by which the reeling machines are driven, and in front of the reeling machines E and F are the conj veyers 19 and 20 by which the rolled and reeled tubes or hollow blanks with the mandrels still in place are conveyed to extractor benches 21 and 22. The extractor benches extend alongside the forward end of the conveyers 19 and 20 and are connected with these conveyers by skids 23 and 24. Extractor rolls 25 and 26 are provided at one end of eachof the conveyers 21' and 22 by means of which the mandrels are withdrawn "from the billets or partly formed tubes when on the extractor benches 21 and 22, extractor chains .of the usual construction also being provided on these benches for withdrawing the mandrels. from the partly formed tubes. The extractor benches on which the extractor chains are mounted areconnected by means of skids 29 with a conveyer 30 on which the mandrels or bars are returned, aftet' being extracted from the partly formed. tubes, to the entrance side of the continuous mill D, one end of'the conveyer 30 being connected by means" of skids 31 with the conveyer. 7 which. is'

located on the entrance side of the continuous mill 1). The extractor benches 21- and 22 are connected by means of skids 32 with a conveyer 33 which is in front of and in line with the rolls of a sizing mill G. On the discharge side of the sizing mill G is a conveyer 34 which connects this sizing mill with the cross rolling mill H through which the rolled and reeled tubes are passed to be straightened. On the discharge side of the cross rolling mill H is a conveyer 35 which extends alongside av cooling bed or table I,

this bed being employed to store the straightened tube while being cooled. The

cooling bed may be of any of the well known piercing mill B. A mandrel X is employed to support or hold a plug in proper position between the rolls B while the heated billet or blank is being pierced over the plug. The pierced billet is delivered onto the conveyer 3v and, the mandrel or rod X is then rewmoved from the pierced billet. The billet is then moved transversely of its length from the conveyer 3 over the skids 5 into the reheating furnace C, this re-heating furnace 0 providing a place of storage in which appreciable loss of heat is prevented orthe temperature is increased in the pierced blanks orbillets while waiting to be passed ,into the rolls of the continuous rolling mill D, the furnace being of I such size that a number of the billets are always being held therein. The pierced billets are removed from the re-heating furnace C as required and are transferred sidewise to the conveyer 7 which extends in line with a pass of the continuous mill D. While the pierced bil-' lets are held upon the conveyer a cylindrical mandrel'Z is inserted in the opening in the pierced billets by means of the pusher 8 and the billet with the inserted mandrel is passed into the bite of the first stand of rolls in the continuous rolling mill. The billet and its mandrel move successively through vertical and horizontal rolls D D, D D D, D, nnally emerging from the last stand of rolls D and passing to the conveyer 12.

Heretofore in the operation of forming seamless tubes, the capacity of the reeling mill has determined the capacity of the mil this being the slowest part ofthe operation of formingthe tubes. To prevent delays in completing the blanks and to increase the capacity of such mills, I have provided two reeling mills E and F on the-discharge side of the rolling mill, each being capable of reeling the rolled tubes or hollow blanks. The rolled blanks are transferred transversely from the conveyer 12 in front of the continuous mill D to either of the conveyers 15 or 16 on the entrance side of the reeling mills E or F. The rolled blank, with its mandrel, which is held in close contact with the blank by reason of the reducing action of the rolling mill is then passed through the rolls of either of the reeling mills E or F and the blank is made more truly cylindrical, its surface smoothed and the diameter of the opening in the blank increased slightly so as to loosen the mandrel held within the blank sufiiciently to permit of its being readily removed after passing through the reeling mill. The reeled blanks are delivered from the reeling mills E and F to the conveyers 19 and 20 which are located on the discharge side of these mills. Theblanks are transferred sidewise from the conveyers 19 and 20 to the extractor benches 21 and 22. The extractor rolls or extractor chains are then employed to remove the mandrels from the rolled and reeled blanks. After the mandrels are removed, the blanks are transferred sidewise by means of skids 32 to the conveyer 33.

which is located on the entrance side of the slzing'mill G. The sizing mill, as shown, comprises a stand of horizontal rolls G and ing.

mod-eat tartan? tons a through which the blanks are passed and are reduced to the desired diameter and made-more truly fc lindrical.

Thesiz'ed blanksfpass from thero is G over the 'con-veyer 34 intothe cross rolls H of the cross rolling mill H and are straightened therein. The straightened blanks are then" mill H to are on theextractor benches 21- and 22, are

transferred endwise on the conveyors 27 and 28 and are transferred from these to the skids 29 by which they are delivered to the return conveyer 30. lhe mandrels are then delivered endwise by the conveyor 30 to the entrance side of the continuous mill D and are lifted from the conveyor 30 to the skids 3i and then transferred to the conveyor 7 in position in line with and on the entrance side of the continuous mill D in readiness to be again inserted within a hollow or pierced blank or billet preparatory to the next rolling operation. llhe above described operations are then repeated as required in.

the regular operation of the mill.

lhe advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. By its use the billets or blanks are quickly pierced and are successively subjected to the opera tions of the piercing mill, the rolling mill, the reeling mill, and when employed, the sizing mill, and straightening mill. By the use of the two reeling mills in connection with the continuous rolling mill, the delays heretofore met with in waiting the com letion of one reeling operation before anot er reeling operation can be started is overcome and prevented and instead of a delay in the reeling of each blank occasioned by the slowness of the reeling operation, one rolled tube can be delivered to the reelin mill E and the next tube to the reeling mi 1 F, and by so alternating the delivery of the tubes from the rolls of the rolling mill, the operations are hastened.

As by the use of my improved apparatus the reeling operations can be performed as.

rapidly as the tubes are delivered from the rolling mill, the rapidity of the tube making operations is limited only by the speed of the continuous mill. By providing the reheating furnace between the piercing mill and the rolling mill, a place of storage for the hot pierced billets is had which prevents loss bf heat "by radiation in the pierced billets after being pierced and while waiting to be fed into the rolling mill, while when 'found necessary the temperature of the pierced billet ca'n be increased after being pierced and preparatory to being rolled.

.Modific-ations in the construction and arrangement of the parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims. Instead of employing a continuous mill hav ing horizontal and vertical rolls, any desired type of rolling mill may be employed. The apparatus for handling the billets and tubes may be modified and the apparatus for handling th'e mandrel bars and for extracting the mandrels may be changed within the scope of my claims.

I claim -1. Apparatus for making seamless tubes comprising in combination means for insertinvention as defined in the .ing mandrels within hollow heated tubes, a

rolling mill wherein the heated tubes are elongated and reduced in wall thickness by rolling upon a mandrel, and a plurality of reeling machines on the" delivery side of said rolling mill for reeling the rolled tubes to increase the internal diameter of the rolled tubes and free the mandrels upon which the tubes are rolled.

2. Apparatus for making seamless tubes comprising in combination means for insertingma-ndrels within hollow heated tubes, a rolling mill wherein the heated tubes are elongated and reduced in Wall thickness by rolling pon a mandrel, a plurality of reeling1 machincs on the delivery side of said rol ing mill" for reeling the rolled tubesto increase the internal diameter of the rolled tubes and free the mandrels upon which the tubes are rolled and means for mechanically Withdrawing the loosened mandrels from the tube blanks.

3. Apparatusv for making seamless tubes comprising in combination a furnace in which hollow seamless tubes are heated and v stored, means for inserting mandrels Within heated tubes from said furnace, a rolling mill wherein the heated tubes are elongated and reduced in wall thickness by rolling upon the mandrels inserted therein, a plurality of reeling machines on the delivery side of the rolling mill for, reeling the rolled tubes to increase the internal diameter thereof and free the mandrel therein, and means for transferring the rolled blank from the rolling mill to either of said reeling machines.

4. Apparatus for making seamless tubes comprising in combination means for forming hollow metal tube blanks, means for heating and storing the hollow blanks preparatory to rolling said blanks, means for insertingmandrel within the heated hollow blanks, a rolling mill for rolling the heated rality of reeling machines on the elivery' side of the rolling mill for reeling the rolled" tubes to increase the internal diameter thereof and free the mandrels therein and means for transferring therolled-tubes from the rolling mill to either of said reeling machines. a g

5. Apparatus for making seamless tubes comprising in combination means for forming hollow metal tube blanks, means for" heating and storing the hollow blanks prearatory to rolling said'blanks, means for inserting mandrels within the heated hollow blanks, a rolling mill forrollin the heated. blanks into. tubes upon the man rels a plu-' rality' of reeling machines on the elivery side .of the rolling mill for reeling the rolled tubes to increase the internal d1ame-. ter thereof and free the mandrels therein, means for transferring the rolled tubes from the rolling mill to either of said reeling machines, and cross rolling means for straightenlng the reeled blanks.

tubes to increase the internal diameter thereof and free the mandrels therein,

means for transferring the rolled tubes from the rolling mill to either of said reeling machines, means for successively sizing the rolled blanks from the reeling machines, and cross rolling means for straightening the reeled and sized blanks.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN W.'OFFUTT. Witnesses: J f

B. F. Groomuon, M. E. NOLAN.

for 

